Sweater Weather
by keep-me-posted
Summary: When Arnold notices Helga walking to school without a coat on, he selflessly offers up his own. HA! OneShot.


**A/N**: So here's an extended version of the "Miriam forgot Helga's winter coat at the cleaners" story she tells Dr. Bliss in _Helga on the Couch_.

If this had actually happened, of course, I'm sure it would have come up, or Helga would have just found another "World's Worst Parents" story to share, but if they _had_ bumped into each other that day, I'm pretty sure Arnold would have noticed Helga not wearing a coat and, considering his nature, would insist on helping somehow.

I know what Arnold wears outside his plaid shirt is technically a sweatshirt, or rather a long-sleeved shirt, but for the purpose of this story (and just cause it sounds better), I'm calling it a sweater.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of its characters.

* * *

"Stupid Miriam...stupid Olga...stupid family..." Helga grumbled to herself. She was standing at the bus stop, rubbing her free hand up and down her bare arm in a feeble attempt to keep warm, despite the snow falling down on her.

She placed her clunky lunchbox at her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, fighting back another shiver. Some boys voices could be heard rounding the corner just then and Helga immediately froze, this time not due to the weather, but rather at whom one of those voices belonged to.

She quickly turned around, causing said boy to bump into her. She felt herself stumble when suddenly his hand flew out and grabbed her forearm, catching her.

She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks, but immediately shook it away, along with him. "Take it easy, Football Head."

"Sorry, Helga," He apologized, withdrawing his hand. "Hey, where's your coat?"

She stopped dusting herself off, trying to find a valid excuse. "I...f-forgot it."

Arnold raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you go back and get it?"

"'Cause then I'd miss the bus, doi!"

He seemed to buy the excuse, but his face still looked troubled. "Well, here," He began, shrugging off his coat. "Take mine." He held it out to her.

"What?" Helga blinked, always caught off-guard by his kindness. "No way! What about you?"

"Don't worry about me."

"I never said I did, Football Head." She sneered, looking down at the coat, then back up to his face. "B-but if you catch a cold, or something, I'll never hear the end of it!"

Unfortunately, Arnold knew this to be true. Due to Helga's attitude, people were always quick to blame her whenever something bad happened. Even if Arnold admitted to offering up his coat, they'd find some way to pin it on Helga.

"Well, at least take my sweater, then." Helga was about to argue, but her words caught in her throat as she watched her beloved selflessly remove his sweater and hold it out to her.

When she finally noticed he was looking at her, she shook her head to remove the lovestruck smile that had surely appeared on her face. She furrowed her brow at his gesture.

"Please, Helga," Arnold said, in a tone that was between hopefulness and annoyance.

"Fine," She sighed, dramatically snatching the sweater from him. "If it'll shut you up." She quickly threw the sweater on, slightly ruffling her pigtails in the process.

Arnold smiled at her just as the bus arrived. The boy put his coat back on and stepped on. Suddenly, Helga hesitated. Wearing Arnold's sweater was one thing. Wearing it in front of several of her fellow students was another.

"Hey, you getting on, or what?" The bus driver asked, clearly annoyed.

Helga frowned, picking up her lunch box and holding it in front of her chest. She turned it every which way, trying to find the best position that would cover most of the sweater up.

The bus driver cleared his throat.

"Yeah, yeah," Helga growled. "Keep your tailpipe on!"

She ran up the few steps and sat at the first seat she could find. That's when the breathing started. But too distracted from the current events, Helga just turned to look at Brainy, nodded, then brought her head back down, holding her lunchbox as close to her chest as she could.

* * *

When the bus arrived at school, Helga was the first one off it. She raced to her locker and quickly pulled off the sweater. She had just stuffed it in her locker when-

"Good morning, Helga!"

"Phoebe!" Helga gasped, slamming her locker shut with her back.

"Is that...Arnold's sweater?" She asked, pointing to the sleeve that was still sticking out.

Helga chuckled uncomfortably, opening her locker just the tiniest bit to get the sleeve back in there. "Uh, yeah. Arnold let me...borrow it, I guess."

"Why?"

"My, uh...my Mom forgot my coat at the cleaners," Helga muttered, solemnly. "Again." Phoebe was the only person Helga was comfortable sharing her family problems with. She herself didn't have to deal with such problems, of course, but she was a good listener, therefore easy to vent to.

"Oh." Phoebe frowned, then suddenly a smile appeared. "So, Arnold let you borrow his sweater? That was nice."

Helga snorted. "Yeah, the kid practically forced it on me."

"Why aren't you wearing it now?"

Helga's face went red. "W-why would I? It must be over 100 degrees in this dang school! You want me to get headstroke? Criminy!"

"Certainly not, Helga," Phoebe answered, honestly. "I was just wondering."

"Well, stop wondering," The blonde said, starting to walk down the hall. "As soon as school's over, that sweater is going back where it belongs, so forget you even saw it."

"Forgetting!"

* * *

It had been a long, unnerving day for Helga. All she could think about was the sweater conspicuously hiding away in her locker. If anyone found it, she would be done for. She would either be accused of stealing it, or Arnold would admit he gave it to her, and then the rumors would start.

She had avoided Arnold all day, hoping he wouldn't ask where his sweater was or why she wasn't wearing it. If he had been making eye contact with her at all during classes, she missed it. And if he had been trying to meet up with her after classes, she never gave him the chance.

When the final bell, signaling school was out, finally rung, Helga was quick to Arnold's side, sweater in hand. "Alright, here's your sweater back, Arnoldo."

He bit his lip, looking to the sweater, to her face, then back. "Mmm...maybe you should hold onto it. Just in case."

She dropped it on his head and crossed her arms. "Look, I'm...getting picked up, so I don't even it."

"Well, neither do I," He said, pulling it from the top of his head and plopping it on her's.

Helga pulled the sleeve back that had fallen over her face, clearly shocked, when she noticed a smug grin on his. She managed a frown, removing the sweater to bring it back to him.

She was surprised again, when he shook his head and took a step back. She raised her brow to one side by his action. "Keep it for now," He insisted again. "Just in case."

"But-"

"I have other sweaters, Helga," Arnold interjected. "I think I'll be fine until tomorrow."

She bit the inside of her cheek while she pondered over the fabric in her hand. "I really don't need-"

"I want you to keep it," He returned, folding her outstretched hand over to clasp it properly.

She felt a heat rising to her cheeks, but was quick to hold it back. "Alright, fine, whatever." She stubbornly pulled the sweater back and sat down on the school steps.

He nodded, smiling, then ran to catch up with Gerald who had enough of their conversation after about three seconds.

When Helga was sure Arnold was gone, she stood up. The getting picked up thing wasn't exactly a lie, of course. She just knew Miriam too well for her to remember to pick her up, especially during a week Olga was visiting.

She kept the sweater just on her shoulders, holding the sleeves at her front, that way if anyone she knew passed by, she was quick to remove it. It didn't keep the chill out completely, but it was better than nothing.

* * *

When Helga finally got home, she raced to her room, ignoring whatever activity Olga was currently entertaining their parents with that actually made them sound that happy.

As soon as she reached her room, she slammed the door and fell into bed, wrapping Arnold's sweater even further around her. She considered pretending she lost it, so she could have something real to put on her Arnold shrine, but was quickly reminded of the whole hat incident and advised against it.

Having sleeves that once held her beloved's arms wrapped around her own, even for just one night, was more than Helga could ever ask for. And, in her opinion, much more than she deserved.

She sniffed at the collar, before burying her head into her pillow, uttering the words she was too scared to actually say out loud today. "Thank you, Arnold. For everything."


End file.
